There are still two races left in the fiercely competitive Formula 1 season in 2021. The teams, drivers and the entire series are driving from Qatar westwards across the Arabian Peninsula to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for the next round of the championship.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is brand new and believed to be the fastest street circuit in the world. Located right on the Red Sea coast, it’s a picturesque location in a controversial country and part of Formula 1’s larger plan to add more street circuits in glamorous locations.
Formula 1 will be racing under the lights for another nightly event and these are the five storylines to follow.
Max vs. Lewis, the battle for the championship is over
Max Verstappen from the Netherlands in the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda leads Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain in the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 at the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix on November 14, 2021 | Mark Thompson / Getty Images
In 2008 Lewis Hamilton won his first world title by overtaking the last corner on the last lap of the last race of the season. He beat Ferrari’s Felipe Massa by one point and claimed a dramatic title win.
The 2021 season feels a lot like the 2008 season, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton going head-to-head in the final two races of the season. Verstappen is currently 8 points ahead of Hamilton, but that’s not enough to claim the title.
In a dominant manner, Hamilton won the last two Grands Prix in Sao Paulo and Qatar. It looked almost unbeatable, and the Mercedes GP F1 car showed significantly more speed than the Red Bull. Many have speculated that this was due to a clever rear wing on the Mercedes, but the reality could be a little more unsettling for Verstappen.
Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated the last two Grands Prix because they are good, very good. Hamilton finds motivation in the challenge of defeating Max Verstappen. A motivated Hamilton can get over a weak car, which is going to worry Verstappen.
Hamilton has to win this race again because if not, Max Verstappen will. Hamilton can’t win the championship in Saudi Arabia, but he can fill the points gap to make a championship decision in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen, on the other hand, can win the championship in Saudi Arabia but he has to win and Hamilton has to finish sixth or lower. The performances of the last two races provide an unlikely scenario.
In theory, Jeddah Corniche circuit prefers the Mercedes F1 car, so chances are Hamilton will win the race. If Verstappen takes second place, the last race of the season will be a full throttle sprint into the championship.
A new route and new challenges
The Racing Course during the preview of the Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 2, 2021 | Hasan Bratic / Getty Images
Saudi Arabia’s first Grand Prix circuit, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, is brand new. So new that it is still under construction when Formula 1 cars leave the pits during Friday practice. The track surface itself will be ready, but the surrounding infrastructure and some buildings will be unfinished on race day.
Nobody has driven this route before, so neither the teams nor the drivers know what the cars need to drive there fast. The track layout should favor the cars with high straight-ahead speed, which would give Mercedes the advantage.
The only question that remains is how the newly laid track surface will cope with Formula 1 cars. The asphalt has not had much time to harden since it was used, and the forces that a modern F1 car can generate could put a lot of stress on the asphalt. The engineers responsible for building the track would have taken this into account, but new asphalt is always brittle and could come off, which would require an emergency repair.
Wind and sand blowing on the track could be another problem on the track. A sandy surface quickly reduces grip and turns the racetrack into an ice rink.
One thing is certain, the challenge of going to a new circuit should make for exciting races.
Can Red Bull regain performance against a dominant Mercedes team?
Winner Valtteri Bottas from Finland and Mercedes GP talk to runner-up Max Verstappen from the Netherlands and Red Bull Racing during the sprint before the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at the Autodromo di Monza on September 11, 2021 | Dan Istitene / Getty Images
The Mercedes F1 car has looked incredibly strong in the last two races. Lewis Hamilton flashed the field in Brazil and made victory in Qatar seem easy. Red Bull isn’t going to sit around and twist your thumbs; You are about to win the drivers ‘championship and also have a chance of winning the constructors’ championship.
There are rumors that Honda found a little more power in the engine, but expect most of their improvements to come from chassis and aerodynamic tweaks.
For Red Bull as a team, they need both cars to perform well in Saudi Arabia. Sergio Perez is needed as Max Verstappen’s wingman, will interfere quickly and cause problems for the two Mercedes cars. Perez hasn’t been a strong qualifier this season but it will be important that he do well on Saturday to help the team on Sunday.
Perez can’t afford to start in midfield and race forward. He has to start the Grand Prix in a strong position so that he and Verstappen can build a lead over Hamilton and Bottas.
Valterri Bottas is a qualifying powerhouse and Perez will have a tough time beating him. If the two Mercedes cars can outperform the Red Bulls, they will be much closer to winning the constructors’ championship.
McLaren desperately needs a strong weekend
Lando Norris from Great Britain with the (4) McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes makes a pit stop during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar on November 21, 2021 | Dan Istitene / Getty Images
Ferrari goes away with third place in the constructors’ championship. A series of bad luck and mechanical failures have resulted in McLaren falling to 39.5 points behind the Italian team. That point gap is almost too big to beat with only two races left, but a DNF from either Ferraris would put McLaren straight back into the fight.
The key to McLaren will be Daniel Ricciardo. If he is familiar with the car and can find the right setup, he has excellent chances to outsource Charles LeClerc’s Ferraris and Carlos Sainz Jr Lando Norris is having his best season ever and will be the man to beat. He is now almost expected to overtake and overtake the Ferraris but he cannot do everything himself and needs Ricciardo to get a good score.
Even if McLaren cannot catch up with Ferrari in the championship race, they will want to end the season with the best possible results. Taking this momentum into the off-season will give the Woking team a lot of motivation to become more competitive against the front runners.
A few drivers could steal victory from the championship contenders
Third-placed Fernando Alonso from Spain and the Alpine F1 Team will celebrate on the podium at the Qatar F1 Grand Prix on November 21, 2021 | Clive Mason / Getty Images
Unpredictability is always fun, and a few drivers on the grid could sneak their way to victory in Saudi Arabia. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are far enough ahead of the field that no other driver can win the championship, but multiple drivers could make the points difficult with a win on Sunday.
Fernando Alonso is repositioning himself as a contender. His epic battle with Hamilton in Hungary and a powerful third place in Qatar prove that the Spaniard is still one of the best in the business.
Alonso comes up from Qatar and could take a surprise victory with one shot. His racing skills and defensive driving are impeccable and if Alpine can get a grip on his split-personality racing car, Alonso could be right at the front of the field.
Another driver worth mentioning is Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri. He drives better than ever and has been strong in the last few races. The Honda-powered AlphaTauri car was fast, and when the car is fast and the racing strategy is right, Gasly looks like a real threat to victories.
Lando Norris is on the hunt for his first Formula 1 win. He made it onto the podium several times this year, but lost his first win against team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. Norris always has a chance and Saudi Arabia could be a track that suits him.
The Formula 1 season is drawing to a close, and the action and intensity are increasing. A combination of a brand new circuit and a tight championship race could set the stage for some fantastic races on the Jeddah circuit.
Related: Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Grand Prix Circuit May Be Incomplete on Race Day
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